AMA Pro Racing announced today an 18-round provisional schedule for the 2023 Progressive American Flat Track season boasting venues historic and new and featuring an impressive balance in terms of its blend of disciplines, geography and pacing.

“We’ve consolidated the 2023 Progressive AFT schedule into motorcycle riding season and worked hard to bring events back to major metropolitan markets and motorcycle rallies,” said Gene Crouch, Chief Operating Officer of AMA Pro Racing. “The venues and dates on the 2023 schedule have been carefully selected to minimize the potential for weather and deliver great racing for fans from coast-to-coast.”

Immediately noticeable is a more compact time frame over which the title fights will be waged, fitting all 18 rounds in between the return to Daytona International Speedway for a doubleheader during Daytona Bike Week in early March and an epic Labor Day Weekend doubleheader season finale at the series’ crown jewel, the Springfield Mile, in early September. The overall result is a significantly more consistent slate and superior momentum, with no more than three weeks between any two rounds, a gap which occurs just twice all season long.

Featuring five Miles, five Half-Miles, four Short Tracks, three TTs, (and one event still to be announced), the ‘23 schedule is also intriguing in the cadence of events. The ordering of track types presents increased opportunity for dynamic championship battles, encouraging win streaks and comebacks alike. All four STs take place in the opening six races, while the three TTs will take place in a span of 13 days near the conclusion of the season, with the Half-Miles and Miles nicely divided up throughout the campaign.

That balance extends to its geographic reach. Hitting locations on both coasts and numerous points in between, the diversity of locales supports both the sport’s growth and continued strength all across the nation. So too does its mix of historic races, long-time mainstays, returning favorites, and a healthy dose of all-new stops, including Senoia, Ga., Ventura, Calif., and Bridgeport, N.J.

The 2023 Progressive AFT schedule will again celebrate the country’s motorcycle rallies and national holidays, holding events as part of Daytona Bike Week, Arizona Bike Week, and the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, along with races to be held during Mother’s Day weekend, Father’s Day weekend (alongside the Mission Food AMA Flat Track Grand Championship amateur nationals no less), Memorial Day weekend and the aforementioned Labor Day weekend finale.

The provisional 2023 Progressive American Flat Track schedule follows:

March 9, 2023 - DAYTONA Flat Track I, Daytona Beach, FL

March 10, 2023 - DAYTONA Flat Track II, Daytona Beach, FL

March 25, 2023 - Senoia Short Track, Senoia, GA

April 1, 2023 - Arizona Bike Week (Venue TBA), Phoenix, AZ

April 22, 2023 - Devil’s Bowl Half-Mile, Mesquite, TX

May 6, 2023 - Ventura Short Track, Ventura, CA

May 13, 2023 - Sacramento Mile, Sacramento, CA

May 27, 2023 - Red Mile, Lexington, KY                                                                              

June 3, 2023 - Virginia Half-Mile (Venue TBA), VA

June 17, 2023 - Du Quoin Mile, Du Quoin, IL

June 24, 2023 - Lima Half-Mile, Lima, OH

July 8, 2023 - Orange County Half-Mile, Middletown, NY

July 22, 2023 - Bridgeport Half-Mile, Bridgeport, NJ

July 30, 2023 - Peoria TT, Peoria, IL

August 6, 2023 - Buffalo Chip TT, Sturgis, SD

August 12, 2023 - Castle Rock TT, Castle Rock, WA

September 2, 2023 - Springfield Mile I, Springfield, IL

September 3, 2023 - Springfield Mile II, Springfield, IL

Confirmation on the venues for the TBA events and ticket sales for all rounds will be available in the weeks ahead at https://www.americanflattrack.com.

To score the latest gear for the Progressive American Flat Track fan, visit our official merchandise store at https://store.americanflattrack.com.

How to Watch

FOX Sports and FansChoice.tv are the official homes for coverage of Progressive American Flat Track. For the 2022 season, all races will premiere in one-hour telecasts on FS1 during highly desirable weekend time slots. The complete schedule can be viewed at https://www.americanflattrack.com/events-foxsports. FansChoice.tv provides livestreaming coverage of every Progressive AFT round at http://www.FansChoice.tv.

Caymus Vineyards has been a longtime sponsor in the sport of auto racing, the genesis of which featured NASCAR driver Casey Mears, when he was the driver of Germain Racing’s No. 13 NASCAR Cup Series entry. This weekend, the pair reunites, and Caymus Vineyards will again sponsor Mears as he slides behind the wheel in the much-anticipated Freightliner Legends Cup race in Mexico City. The event precedes Sunday’s Formula 1 Mexico Grand Prix and features some of open-wheel racing’s most celebrated drivers.

Mears was the first driver the Wagner family – who founded Caymus Vineyards – sponsored in NASCAR a decade ago. The opportunity to again partner with him is a natural fit, especially in the Freightliner Legends Cup race, an event featuring legendary names from open-wheel racing. The iconic Mears name and award-winning Caymus Vineyards create an ideal partnership on one of the world’s biggest stages.

“We had a long and successful relationship with Casey Mears during his time in the NASCAR Cup Series, so we are excited to work with him again as he takes to the track in the Freightliner Legends Cup Race at the Mexico Grand Prix,” said Karen Perry, Executive Vice President of Caymus Vineyards. “He is a fantastic ambassador for Caymus -- universally liked among race fans and dedicated to achieving ever-greater levels of performance. We’re proud to again join forces and connect with racing’s passionate fanbase.”

“I’m excited to have Caymus Vineyards on-board for the Freightliner Legends Cup race in Mexico City,” Mears said. “I’ve always enjoyed the relationship with Caymus and the Wagner family and we have a lot of great memories together. Caymus Cabernet is a favorite in our household and I’m happy we get to go racing together again. I appreciate their support and look forward to a fun weekend.”

Mears carries with him one of the most recognized names in the sport of auto racing. A NASCAR Cup Series winner, he also captured four Cup Series Pole Awards, including the 2004 Brickyard 400, where he set the track record. Versatility being a cornerstone for Mears, he was the first full-time NASCAR driver to achieve an overall victory at the prestigious Rolex 24 at Daytona (2006). In his return to desert racing in 2019, he won his class and finished third overall at the NORRA 1000, before posting a 12^th place finish in the extremely challenging Trophy Truck Class at the famed Baja 1000.

The Wagners have a history in Napa Valley dating back to the 1850’s. Through the years, they have embraced a hands-on work ethic and are constantly trying out new ideas in pursuit of making exceptional wines. Whether it’s venturing to different regions to find diverse sources of top-quality grapes or experimenting with new farming techniques, the result is a pairing of tradition with innovation, a respect for the old and the promise of the new.

Chuck Wagner and his late parents, Lorna and Charlie, started Caymus Vineyards in 1972. They were a family of farmers who worked together for decades to create a signature style of Cabernet Sauvignon. Today, the family’s two Cabernets – Caymus Napa Valley and Caymus Special Selection – are among the region's most celebrated wines. Chuck now works alongside two of his children, Charlie and Jenny, and the family produces diverse wines from Napa Valley, other parts of California and beyond. Continually pursuing new ideas, they feel extremely fortunate to spend their days farming grapes and making wine. For more information, please visit wagnerfamilyofwine.com.

After a successful partial season in GT America this year,  next up for SKI Autosports is the 8th annual HSR Classic Daytona presented by IMSA at Daytona International Speedway, November 3-6.

SKI Autosports has entered three cars for the event including a 1985 IMSA GTO Dillon Chassis Corvette #55.  The historic race car will take part in the sprint races on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, a precursor for the Classic 24 Hour race.

The #55 Corvette entry will be part of a family attack for SKI Autosports with Canaan O’Connell joining his multi-championship winning father Johnny with the team this weekend.

Johnny O’Connell will join forces with Briton Matt Bell for a two car assault on the Classic 24 Hour race on Saturday, November 5th. The two veteran drivers – who combined have much experience with 24-hour races – will swap between the team’s Ferrari 458 GT, which SKI Autosports campaigned in SRO America for a limited schedule in 2022 and the #60 Callaway Corvette LM.

The Classic 24 Hour format includes seven categories competing in 45 minute rotations over the 24 hours.  This unique format allows both O’Connell and Bell to drive both cars at different times.  To complicate things, Sunday, November 6th is the end of daylight savings so although the race is a full 24 hours it will end at 1pm on Sunday.  

Team owner Kent Hussey said about the event, “This will be our fifth time competing in the Classic 24. We raced in the inaugural event with a 1994 Saleen and went back the next year with the same car. Then in 2018 and 2019 we returned to the race with our first Ferrari, winning our class both years.” 

The SKI Autosports team has continued to race in various series, however 2022 marks their return to the Classic 24, Hussey explains, “Restoring the Callaway Corvette LM has been a passion project for Melissa and myself over the past few years and now that it’s finished we thought a great return to racing would be to bring it back to Daytona.

“This will be the first time we’ve raced the #56 Ferrari 458 GT at this event and we’re excited about the combination of two great cars and two super talented drivers in the field.”

Delivery drivers, start your engines. Hooters, “The Official Home of Race Fans,” and racing superstar Chase Elliott are shifting their partnership into higher gear by launching Chase Elliott’s Chicken Tenders, a virtual restaurant designed to satisfy the appetites of fans craving a dippable snack or savory meal at home or on the go.

Nearly 200 Hooters restaurants throughout the country are now offering Chase Elliott’s Chicken Tenders, named for the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Champion, exclusively on delivery platforms DoorDash, Grubhub and Uber Eats.

“I’m excited to launch a menu that fuels fans’ love for delicious Hooters chicken, starters and sides,” Elliott said. “I have the best fans in the world, so I know they will enjoy trying this cool new concept and make an order for race day or during the week like I do.”

Chase Elliott’s Chicken Tenders are prepared in a variety of mouth-watering flavors including 14 craveable sauces. These signature products are offered with ranch or bleu cheese, along with popular sides such as waffle fries or tots.

Additional boneless wings, chicken sandwiches, buffalo chicken salads and beverages will also be available in the virtual restaurant. Two fan-favorite starters - fried pickles and mozzarella cheese sticks – round out the menu available on popular delivery apps.

“Virtual concepts have been an important part of our off-premises growth strategy since 2019,” explained Marc Butler, SVP, Strategic Planning / Off Premise for Hooters of America. “Hooters is very well known for our great wings, but awareness is lower for other menu segments such as tenders, burgers and seafood. Incorporating Chase into this virtual concept will help us create greater awareness, attract a new audience and grow our business with racing aficionados who can share in food and fandom.”

“As the most popular driver in racing today, Chase has a fantastic connection with our restaurant clientele no matter where they are ordering our famous foods, so it’s a natural we’d create a line extension together,” said Hooters CMO Bruce Skala. “We’re launching the virtual concept out of 196 of our restaurants, so check your apps to see if Chase Elliott’s Chicken Tenders delivery is now available in your hometown.”  

Hooters also announced a special incentive on one of its partner platforms for those who want to be among the first to order Chase Elliott’s Chicken Tenders. For a limited time through the end of the year, DoorDash is offering a 30% off deal up to $12 for first-time order customers who use the code NASCAR30.

 For the second time Max Verstappen has topped the qualifying times in Mexico City, but for the first time the World Champion will start from pole position in his Red Bull for Sunday’s FORMULA 1 MEXICO CITY GRAND PRIX Presented by Heineken.

Back in 2019, Verstappen was quickest in Qualifying but had to drop three grid places for a yellow flag infringement promoting Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc to pole. No such problem this time. With a best lap of 1:17.775 and an average lap speed of 199.220km/h the 25-year-old double champion secured his sixth pole of 2022 and the19th of his F1 career.

“Very lovely that!” the Dutchman told his team after holding off the Mercedes duo of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton. “It was a close one! We made a few adjustments and the car got into a better rhythm.”

The hopes of hundreds of thousands of Mexican fans were dashed when Sergio Pérez could not join his team-mate on the front row, after finishing fourth fastest.

“It was a big shame,” said Pérez. “We had an electrical issue throughout qualifying. I was pretty much blind, I had no indication of my lap times. To be P4 is not the end of the world, but today I believe we could have fought for pole.”

But Verstappen lifted the Mexican mood: “Checo will be there tomorrow,” he said, “I’m sure we’ve got a fast race car.”

Russell complained of brake problems throughout the hour but apologised to his Mercedes team after his final run when he ran wide on entry to the Foro Sol and lost any chance of catching the Red Bull. “The team deserved more today,” said the 24-year-old Englishman. “They’ve produced a really great car for this weekend – it was just a terrible lap from me.”

Ferrari could do no better than fifth for Carlos Sainz and seventh for Charles Leclerc, as Sainz complained: “we were fighting the car too much”, but the surprise package was Valtteri Bottas sandwiched between them.

Bottas, now 33, was on pole at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez last season for Mercedes, but to be in the top six in his Alfa Romeo is in some ways an even more outstanding effort. “It’s really uplifting for the whole team,” said the Finn. “It’s been an easy car to drive and since FP1 I’ve had confidence.”

The last three positions in the top 10 are shared by the McLaren of Lando Norris and the two Alpines of Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon – another mouth-watering prospect for Sunday — as those two teams battle for fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship. 

Right behind them is Daniel Ricciardo in the second McLaren, who was eliminated in Q2 along with Chinese newcomer Zhou Guanyu in the other Alfa Romeo, AlphaTauri pair Yuki Tsunoda and Pierre Gasly, in addition to Kevin Magnussen’s Haas.

There had been a landmark moment for the Haas team as Magnussen made it into the second stage of qualifying – the first time the American team has got one of their drivers out of Q1 in Mexico. However, Magnussen carries a grid penalty and will drop back, while team-mate Mick Schumacher was sixth at one point, until his best lap time was deleted for exceeding track limits in Turn 2 and the German was also eliminated.

No joy for 2017 Mexican pole-winner Sebastian Vettel: in his final appearance at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez the Aston Martin driver could manage only 17th in Q1.

Mercedes, winless and with just one pole position in 2022 so far, threw down the gauntlet to the field in the third practice session as Russell and Hamilton made it a 1-2 for the Silver Arrows.

The track also welcomed an array of legendary drivers for the Freightliner Legends Cup by Fibra UNO - the support race of the FORMULA 1 MEXICO CITY GRAND PRIX Presented by Heineken – and Mexican driver Michel Jourdain Jr. looked unbeatable during the second session setting a fastest lap of 1:51.435.

Driving GTM car #1, Jordain dominated the Saturday session of the race that has brought together some of the biggest stars that delighted IndyCar fans during the first decade of the century and made CART one of the favourite championships in Mexico.

Behind Jordain was Luis “Chapulín” Díaz, another Mexican who won the Daytona Prototypes race at this track in 2006, with a time of 1:51.932.

Alex Tagliani from Canada, was the fastest among the international drivers with 1:52.235, ahead of Mexican Mario Dominguez, who managed a best lap time of 1:52.239 before making contact with Bruno Junqueira halfway through the session, as the Brazilian was attempting an overtake on the outside in the “esses” section of the track. Mario stood his ground on the inside and they touched, apparently without consequence.

Bruno Junqueira rounded out the top five, followed by the Canadian and fan favourite Paul Tracy. Casey Mears, Max Papis, Mark Blundell and local legend Adrián Fernández completed the top ten.

“The track is a little slick, but we were already expecting it would be like this,” said Jourdain. “It's the same for everyone, so we need to focus on the sections where we manage a minimal advantage over the others,” he added.

On Sunday, the race that has reunited these legends will be part of the celebrations to commemorate the 60^th anniversary of the first Grand Prix in Mexico City.

Nitro Rallycross returned to Southern California Saturday, kicking off a wild weekend of racing at iconic Glen Helen Raceway as part of its inaugural global series. The disruptive new motorsport with, “cars that fly and tracks that thrill,” delivered the goods Saturday with gripping head-to-head action, tight passes and nail-biting finishes, all on a challenging course punctuated by a 100-ft gap jump.

In Group E, fast-rising Jamaican phenom Fraser McConnell took Top Qualifier position in an exciting Battle Brackets final against Oliver Eriksson (SWE). It marked McConnell’s first win in Nitro RX’s new top class.

Both drivers had to advance through Nitro RX’s heavy-hitters in order to reach the final, with Eriksson beating defending 2021 series champion and Minnesota 2022 winner Travis Pastrana (USA) as well as Sweden 2022 winner Andreas Bakkerud (NOR), while McConnell dispatched UK 2022 winner Robin Larsson (SWE).

In Saturday’s final, Eriksson bolted out of the start and held McConnell off at the first turn. McConnell hung tight however and soon pulled off a brilliant pass, swinging high before dropping down to overtake Eriksson on the inside. McConnell then held back Erkisson, with the two getting sideways in the corners, before McConnell pulled away to seal the win.

As top qualifier, McConnell goes into Sunday with pole position in his choice of the first two heats.

Group E Qualifying Order (Round 4):

In NRX NEXT, George Megennis (USA) claimed the top of the podium with a solid win after third place finishes at round four in Sweden as well as rounds five and six in Minnesota. Jimmy Henderson and Lane Vacala combined to make it an American sweep of the NEXT podium Saturday.

In a double-header weekend, the full NRX NEXT field will compete again on Sunday with another opportunity to earn hardware.

NRX Next Final (Round 7):

For Nitro RX’s special Side-By-Side contest, Pastrana pulled double duty while renewing his longtime rivalry with fellow moto legend Brian Deegan (USA). Deegan and Pastrana traded first place Side-By-Sides finishes earlier this month during Nitro RX’s US launch, and that pattern continued at Glen Helen with the two battling throughout Saturday. Neither refused to settle for second, taking the Side-By-Side final all the way to the wire, with Deegan getting the better of Pastrana – on this day – by less than four-hundredths of a second. Canada’s Gregoire Michaud rounded out the podium.

Pastrana will have an opportunity for a rematch though, with the full Side-By-Sides roster set to square off once more on Sunday. 

Side-By-Sides Final (Round 1):

More finals trophies - in all three classes - are on the line Sunday. For Southland fans, tickets are still available for purchase at nitrorallycross.com. General admission tickets are $25 each while VIP Club Nitro RX passes offering premium amenities and exclusive experiences are $125 each (all prices plus additional taxes and fees). Camping passes are also available. Kids 12 and under can even enjoy all of the high-speed action for free.

Fans outside of Southern California can also watch live on Peacock in the U.S. as well as on YouTube worldwide.

Event partners for Nitro RX Los Angeles include A SHOC Energy - Thrill One Sports & Entertainment’s Official Energy Drink -  Yokohama Tire, Smirnoff Ice Smash, Myenergi and Guaranteed Rate. 

Michael Schumacher is the most successful Formula One World Champion ever, a new study has revealed.

The study by independent online casino comparison service CasinoAlpha analysed every Formula One Championships since 2000 and calculated when each winner mathematically won the title and with how many points. Then it adjusted all the results to today’s scoring system minus the newly introduced Fastest Lap point to find out the combination of the fastest win with the most points.

Michael Schumacher had the fastest win ever in 2002, as the drivers were only 65% into the championship when he accumulated enough pole positions and overall points to be mathematically crowned World Champion for the fifth time in his career. The 2002 championship featured 17 races, and based on the points system of that year, he arrived at the 11^th race with 96 points, which allowed him to secure the title. By the end of the season, Schumacher had 144 points, which adjusted to today’s system is equivalent to 380 points in 2022, the highest in the list.

Schumacher occupies the whole top three fastest victories, his 2001 title comes in second place and his 2004 title comes in third place. In 2001, the German driver mathematically won at the 13^th race out of 17 with 94 points up until that moment, which by the end of the season were 327 when adjusted to today’s system. Similarly, in 2004, Schumacher secured the title at the end of the 14^th race out of 18 and a total of 367 modern day points.

Second driver on the list but fourth overall is Sebastian Vettel, who in 2011 secured his second of four titles at the end of the 15^th race out of 19, 79% into the championship. By the end of the season, Vettel had accumulated 392 points based on the modern scoring system and he became the youngest driver to ever win two consecutive World Championships. Vettel also occupies the sixth place for his 2013 victory.

Lewis Hamilton comes in fifth, securing his 2020 world championship 82% into the season, at the 14^th race out of 17. Hamilton also occupies the seventh, ninth and tenth place for his 2015, 2017 and 2018 victories respectively.

The only other driver on the list is Fernando Alonso, who managed to secure his 2005 title 89% into the championship, during the 17^th race out of 19.

A spokesperson for CasinoAlpha commented on the findings: “The data shows that out of the 72 complete Formula 1 seasons so far, 33 were decided in the final race, and of the remaining 39, 10 were decided in the penultimate race. These figures show which racers were driving so well that they were able to wrap the title up with several races still remaining.

“Michael Schumacher’s name appears three times in the top ten, really highlighting just how dominant he was. His eight championship victories already make him many people’s greatest ever driver, and this data strengthens their case – being able to secure the title so early in multiple seasons is another impressive achievement to add to Schumacher’s already long list.”

The study was conducted by CasinoAlpha, a website that offers informative pages free of charge to educate the United Kingdom customer to make wiser financial decisions.